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with their physical appearance. The magic, which he had sensed in Ava the first night they met, saturated the air in the house.
    “Right on time.” Ava smile stretched from ear-to-ear.
    He nodded, then turned back to Maeve. He handed her the bottle of wine. “I hope you like wine?” Beaming she reached for the bottle, but as her hand brushed his, she appeared to stiffen and turn away from him.
    Her voice sounded strained. “Oh, yes, very much.”
    Ava took a step forward. “Let me introduce my sisters. From the left, we have Ella, Thea, and Cara. You’ve met Maeve.”
    Ignoring Maeve’s disconcerting reaction to him, he said, “Good evening, ladies, it’s nice to meet you.”
    Sister witches, how extraordinary . Witches had a protector of some kind . . . light guardians. Could Maeve be their light guardian? That could explain her reaction to him. She most likely sensed that he wasn’t human and was probably wondering what the hell he was doing here.
    “You didn’t tell me he was so tall, Ava.” Cara’s words broke him from his thoughts. Had he been staring at them?
    Ava ignored her sister then took hold of his hand, leading him to the dining room. She motioned for him to sit on the end chair, then sat next to him.
    After everyone had taken their seat, Ava passed plates of food around the table, which stood in front of a bay window overlooking the forest. A perfect spot.
    “Dig in, everyone.” Ava drizzled smooth, thick gravy over the roast before she handed him the platter.
    The meat had that rich, well-done smell that reminded him of ox charring over a spit. He didn’t realize how hungry he had been until he smelled the roast.
    “Everything looks amazing, my compliments to the cook.” He glanced around the table, waiting for someone to address themselves as the cook.
    Thea’s voice broke the silence. “Ava and Maeve prepared the food. It’s Ava’s favorite dish.”
    He nudged Ava. “Really, you didn’t tell me you could cook.”
    “It didn’t really come up.” She did a sideways glance at him and he winked at her. 
    “Poor Cara, you have to wait a whole year to drink.” Ella swirled her wine and made a production of savoring the smell. “Ahh. You have no idea what you’re missing.”
    Cara laughed. “Being too young never stopped you.” As the rest of the girls broke out in laughter, Lucas noticed Maeve’s stern look.
    “Ella, what kind of example are you setting for your younger sisters?” Maeve’s voice was tinged with exasperation.
    Ella smiled at Maeve. “I was trying to show them how not to get caught. After all, you have to admit you didn’t have a clue that I’d discovered wine before my twenty-first birthday.”
    As the table erupted in laughter, Lucas thought that he saw Maeve crack a smile, but it was Ava’s laugh that caught his attention.
    He felt his heart leap in his chest at the lighthearted sound. That and she looked stunning in a pair of skintight jeans, a silky sapphire-colored top, and stiletto heels. Without a doubt, sapphire was his favorite color on her.
    “So, Lucas, Ava tells us that you played the hero yesterday?” Maeve reached for her glass of wine as she eyed him, waiting for a reply.
    Before he could answer, Cara interrupted. “Yeah, tell us what it was like to deck Mark.”
    Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ava flinch. Did the memory frighten her?
    “Cara!” Ava set her fork down hard in her plate, causing the metal to protest with a clank, all the while giving Cara a stern look.
    “It’s all right. I don’t mind telling the story.” He recounted his side of the events from the past night.
    “Wow, I can’t believe he tried to mouth off to you.” Cara leaned forward, her chin in her hands. “I wish I could have been there.”
    Maeve cleared her throat. “We’re all just happy that you were able to come to her aide.” She passed Ava the bottle of wine to refill his glass, then said, “So what brings you to the Adirondacks,